


Humans Aren't Strong

by BekasStrife



Series: 'NoeHopu Collaboration Project' prompts [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII Series, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 01:58:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/907535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BekasStrife/pseuds/BekasStrife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the 'NoeHopu Collaboration Project' at tumblr. <br/>Prompt: 'Imagine Person A of your OTP getting into serious trouble only to have Person B save them and later yell at them for acting stupid and making them worry. Person A initially gets angry at being treated like a child, but eventually understands Person B’s feelings and apologizes while they cuddle and reaffirm that the other is still alive.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Humans Aren't Strong

**Author's Note:**

> Came out slightly different from the prompt but hopefully, it's still enjoyable.

Wincing as he pressed a hand to his bleeding side, Hope tiredly watched as the last flames of his spell vanished from the corpse of their enemy. Behemoths were never easy to defeat but this one had been a particularly tough specimen: it had been capable of sneaking up on them and had nearly chopped off his side when he had made the rash decision of rushing into battle head-on to take the beast's attention off his companion.

Companion who seemed ready to burst into flames himself, considering the furious expression etched onto his face. Hope winced again, though it was not from the pain this time.

"What were you thinking?!" Noel snapped at him, red-faced and not even bothering to properly put away his sword, simply shoving it into the ground. "That stupid stunt could have killed you, look at the _size_ of that wound!"

Looking down at it, Hope slowly removed his hand and watched as blood now ran freely down his side and hip. It was painful, yes, and it was potentially life threatening if he didn't cure it in the near future but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. "I can fix it."

"Next time, there might _not be time_ for you to do that!"

"Noel, the attack was aiming for _you_."

"And I could have handled it just fine!"

"Your back was _turned--_ "

"Still not a reason for you to have done _this_!" The brunet shouted, hands shaking as he reached towards Hope and, despite his current mood, carefully and tenderly removed the torn cloth of the older man's shirt off the wound so he could begin casting healing spells. "Two weeks ago, you nearly lost a hand to a Rafflesia's acidic muck.Then a few days ago, you got stung and poisoned by a Triffid that was aiming for _me_. You keep jumping into these situations; do you ever stop and think how easily humans get killed? How others have died for smaller things? _You_ \--" Watching as Noel pressed his lips into a thin white line, Hope wisely chose to remain silent and wait for the man to process his feelings. Knowing the other as well as he now did, he knew better than to try and force him to talk when he wasn't ready to.

Still, it didn't mean he couldn't give his two cents on the matter.

Hissing and instinctively stepping back when Noel placed his hand over his wound to heal it, Hope found himself held in place by the brunet's other hand on his arm. He vaguely noticed the brush of a thumb against his elbow as he did his best to stay still and not shy away as the wound began to heal and the pain started to fade. "I... am not a child." Hope began faintly, taking a deep breath as Noel's blue eyes shot up to meet his. "I didn't learn how to fight or how to live in a dangerous environment like this yesterday. I also do not consider myself to be one of the best there is, despite my experience. The point is that I understand you want to protect me... But I want to protect _you_ too. Just like you don't want to see me injured and do reckless things to get me off harm's way, I'm going to do the exact same thing for the exact same reason, Noel."

"... I just can't have you keep doing this to me." Noel said at last, so quietly he might have missed it if he had not been waiting for the reply. The brunet was calmer but still tense, watching with dark eyes the blood that had slipped through his fingers but that was now drying, as the wound was sufficiently closed not to bleed so heavily anymore. "This whole..." Chocking on the words he wanted to use, Noel simply let Hope's arm go and waved at the healing wound awkwardly before letting the hand fall heavily to his side.

Slowly reaching, and consequently giving Noel the room to back away if he wished it, Hope covered the free hand with his own and slid his fingers between the other man's, giving a gentle squeeze. Meeting Noel's gaze when he looked back at him, Hope held it for a moment before he just nodded. All because he _understood_.

Noel had lost everything. In his timeline. In this one. His grandmother, the entirety of his tribe, Yeul, Caius and finally, Serah and even Mog. Adding Lightning in her crystal sleep to the list, they were all each other had.

To not be able to protect and instead, watch his loved ones die... It must have been _excruciating_ and for Noel to still keep a cheery disposition after it all, it just proved just how strong he actually was. It also made him want to try and ease the burden as much as he could, though he knew how much he could actually do to help was limited. It made him want to shield him; protect him from getting hurt all over again and, trying to do that, Hope ends up putting himself in dire situations.

Still, he _understood_ and as such, Hope decided that he wouldn't argue any further. Instead, he used his grip on Noel's hand to pull him closer and rested their foreheads together, moving again only when Noel removed his hand from his wound when it was healed. With a simple tilt of his head, he pressed their lips together in a soft but emotionally charged kiss that only lasted a moment but that was enough for the both of them for the moment. "I'm sorry." Hope murmured, wrapping his free arm around the other's waist and being embraced tightly back. "I can't promise you that this won't happen again; that I won't do for you what I am sure you'd do for me... But I can promise you that I will do my best to keep you from worrying about my safety again."

Noel was silent at that, only pressing their cheeks together for added contact and burying his nose into his hair. Again, he spoke so quietly that he was only able to hear it because he had been waiting for it. "I love you."

It hadn't be the first time he had heard those words and he certainly hoped it wouldn't be the last but no matter how many times he heard it, it never failed to make him smile. It wasn't just ' _I love you_ '. It was _'I love you_ ', _'I don't want to lose you_ ' and _'you're_ vital _to me'_ all mushed into one. It was particularly precious in the times they now lived in, timeless and filled with chaos.

Cradling the back of Noel's head with the hand that had been on his waist and pulling back just enough to be able to kiss the other's cheekbone, Hope gave him a smile reserved only for those close to his heart.

"I love you too."


End file.
